GENERAL FREYBERG.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 128, 12 March 1935, Page 6

GENERAL FREYBERG.

COMMANDER IN INDIA LIKELY. (United' Press Association— Copyright.) (Received This Day, 9.45 a.m.) , LONIDON, March 10. It is expected that Major-General B. C. Freyberg will succeed H. J. Huddleston as Commander of the Assam District, India. Major-General Bernard Cyril Freyberg, soldier, athlete and winner of the Victoria Cross for one of the most notable individual facts of the war, was born in London in 1890, but was educated at Wellington College, New Zealand. He excelled as a swimmei, oarsman, footballer and boxer, and later acquired fame throughout Australia and New Zealand in all these capacities, and especially as a swimmer. .. . , Migrating to America, he lived for some time m the United States until the spirit of adventure moved him fo take part in the civil war in Mexico. He was fighting as a member of Villa’s force against Huerta when the World War broke out. Leaving at once for England, he joined the Naval Brigade, taking part in the landing of a British force at Antwerp and the subsequent withdrawal, and being wounded. After serving in France he went out with, the rank of lieutenant-commander to Gallipoli with the naval force. One night when a British attempt to land a force was in preparation, he volunteered io deceive the enemy regarding the position selected. Staining his face, shoulders and arms a dark colour to avoid being discovered by a searchlight, he dropped overboard from his ship with a bundle of coloured flares and swam ashore at Biilair. Having then set out and lighted the flares to lead the enemy to think that a large force had just landed, he entered the water again, but through some misunderstanding a boat, which was to have been near to pick him up ' had not arrived, aiM he was swimming for two hours before he was found. For this he received the D.S.O.

Returning to France, he won the Victoria Cross in 1916 for bravery and brilliant leading as a battalion commander. An advance having been ordered, he took his force right through the enemy’s front,trenches. Terrific fire and mist caused disorganisation, but he rallied his men. and collected men from other units who were near, led them on again and though wounded four times, held the position reached in spite of heavy machine-gun fire throughout the day and the following night. The position thus taken formed the chief point of that section of the new British line. At the end of the war he was a lieu-tenant-Colonel in the West Surrey Regiment, and was awarded the C.M.G. Later he joined the Grenadier Guards. But in February, 1929, was given the command of the Ist Manchester, and last year was General Staff Officer, Ist Grade, at the War Office. He made two attempts to swim the Channel, but on each occasion had to give up just short of success owing to trouble caused by one of his nine war wounds.